I’ve been absorbing all the information about the mission to hunt and kill of bin Laden.  I am extremely happy to know the last thing that murdering bastard saw was the US Military and guns aimed at him.  I think a trial would have divided the country, (even more).  The people who think the United States deserved what happened on September 11th would flood the streets.  Why give them anymore time to spew their hatred towards this great country.

  I have no desire to see the pictures of a dead bin Laden.  I don’t care if they are released or not.  The radical muslims really don’t need a reason to attack people.  They want us, or anyone who doesn’t believe in their hardcore views, dead.  It’s pretty simple.  What I find humorous is who wants the photos released and who doesn’t.  It seems to be the exact opposite of the Abu Ghraib pictures. 

  Am I going to go out and dance in the streets since he is dead, no.  But I am not afraid to say I am happy he’s fish food.  The United States killing bin Laden should alert our enemies.  It might take several years, but we will find you, and take you down.  I’m sure that just before the bullet scrambles your brain you’ll be crying like a baby.

  Ever wonder how many of the people who think it’s funny to burn a Koran get out raged when they see an American Flag burned?  I think I’ve brought this up before.  I’m against burning books, no matter what their content.  I think it shows ignorance and bigotry.  A couple months ago a wacko paster in Florida threatened to burn a Koran.  By wacko I mean off his rocker, crazy, uninformed, hateful and well, fill in the blank.  He had cancelled the burning last year then out of the blue he participated in burning one.

  But to the meat of the post, and I’m relying on the news agencies for this, several UN workers were killed by an angry mob after the burning.  The people came out of their afternoon prayers and started attacking things.  Some were peaceful, but others were looking for people to attack.  I would like to think it was due to stupid illiterate people being controlled by their religious leaders.  Was it coincidence they had just walked out of prayers?  These people were riled up.  This was not the standard reactions of an educated population.  I offer these stats:in 2002, Afghanistan had an adult illiteracy rate of 49% for males and 79% for females.  The highest rate in Asia for a place that has free education.  What does it say for a society where you can convince someone to strap on a bomb and walk into a crowd and blow yourself up?  I don’t think it has to be just governments that need to be changed.  We need to educate the populations of the third world countries.  Let them see that being controlled is not okay.  I’ve always thought that if you want to control the people keep them stupid and uninformed.

  I bet when the dust clears we are going to find the media over-hyped the damage to the nuclear power plants in Japan.  Someone probably said meltdown and everyone blew it out of proportion.  A pressurized water reactor is inherently safe, even when all the cooling water leaves the core.  However, these reactors were boiling water reactors, a design I never really thought was very intelligent.  Still, I highly doubt a meltdown of the core will take place.  I am sure there is going to be core damage, but that is completely different.  If the reports are true about them pumping sea water mixed with boron into the containment building they won’t be restarting that power plant anytime soon.  The sea water will make clean up difficult since it will corrode everything.  However, better corroded then further core damage due to overheating the fuel.  The boron will help ensure the reactor is shutdown.  Boron  absorbs the neutrons, thus preventing fission.  No fission no heat, no heat no core damage.  On the bright side it brings nuclear power into the news again.

  I’m not an expert on the union deals they have going on in Wisconsin.  But how many of the massed hordes of protesting people know what they are protesting about, over even care?  While in the Navy I had to watch the fence line to make sure people didn’t jump it while the protests were going on.  The local anti-nuclear groups would stage protests against the Trident submarines arriving at Kings Bay Submarine Base.  When treats of federal arrests were made the protest organizers hired the homeless to come and cross the property line and be arrested.  Good press to have someone arrested I guess.  The organizers of protests are like the handlers of suicide bombers.  They talk a big talk, but will never put themselves in harms way.

  I think over the years the unions have grabbed too much power.  I have no problem with people being represented to their employer as long as it’s fair.  And more importantly, their job should not require they join the union.  If you have a group of a hundred employees and only twenty join the union, that’s fine.  Those twenty would have a union bargain for them and the others would bargain for themselves.   

  I once had a guy ask me why would I want to work for slave labor.  Referring to the fact the company I work for is not unionized.  I don’t think he even understands what he is saying.  I was in the Navy for twenty years, granted it’s an all voluntary force, but there were times I would have liked to have been doing something else.  My friends and I would set around the main engines on the submarine and talk about what it would be like to be free to work where you like.  Here is the point I don’t understand about unions and their fear of slave labor.  If you don’t like your job, you can find another, then quit the one you don’t like.  I see people who are just miserable where they work.  Find a job you like and move on. 

  Unions at one time really had a place in our society.  The uneducated masses were being taken advantage of.  Now we are better educated, have a greater access to information, in better control of our lives.  There are many government organizations who look out for the people.  I think the time for unions is over.  If you have an employer treating you unfairly, report them.  If you just don’t like your working conditions, find a new job and move on.  But to demand so many entitlements that you bankrupt the company putting the bread on your table is ridiculous.  I think the worse thing is to have to give money in the form of union dues to an organization who uses them the way they want with out a vote on who should get the money.  I feel sorry for any conservative teachers.  Your union dues are going to support the Democratic Party.  Talk about slave labor, to keep your job

  Once again Portland is brought to its knees by an massive winter storm dumping nearly an inch of snow on the ground.  Schools are closed, store shelves are empty, it’s chaos.  Of course as I’m walking around in the chilly white stuff a humorous thought struck me.  I don’t think foot prints trudged in the snow is quite as inspirational as the famous Foot Prints in the Sand poem.

  It’s good that the snow hit.  Now people can stop freaking out about the possibility of snow.  They close Portland down way to fast.  The school day is cancelled if even a hint of snow hits the ground.  I wonder if the school officials use their snow day allotment like they do their budget.  Use it or lose it!  Laugh at us world, it is quite sad.